CABI Joins 25-Strong Partnership For Project To Enhance Europe's Readiness For Invasive Fall Armyworm Crop Pest

CABI has joined a 25-strong multi-stakeholder partnership to share its expertise on sustainable management of invasive crop pests as part of a new project to enhance Europe’s readiness for the potentially devastating fall armyworm.

The project, funded by the European Union and led by INRAE – France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, was launched in Montpellier, France, to provide tools for early detection and effective management.

Called EUFAWREADY, the project will empower European farmers, advisors, technicians, and phytosanitary services to improve their preparedness for fall armyworm outbreaks which can devastate maize production if left untreated.

It is part of the research initiative Farm to Fork which is a key component of Horizon Europe, the current European Commission research and innovation framework programme (2021-2027). The specific call is entitled ‘Spotlight on plant priority pest: fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).’

Pest has already been reported in European countries
Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), a lepidopteran pest native to the Americas and feeds on leaves of more than 80 plant species including maize, spread widely in Africa and Asia during the last decade. It has also recently been reported in European countries such as Cyprus, Greece, and Romania.

CABI scientists Dr Marc Kenis and Dr Yelitza Colmenarez will lead the biological control research on parasitoids against the fall armyworm while Dr Stefan Toepfer, together with plant health system stakeholders of Europe, will work to develop a toolbox for the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of this major crop pest invader.

Dr Kenis said, “The fall armyworm is one of the major insect invaders in maize producing regions around the world. During the last decade, it has invaded Africa and Asia, whilst heavily impacting maize production.

“In some countries, food security has been challenged. In other countries, the sudden heavy use of pesticides to manage the pest has created problems around the safety of those applying them and the impact on the environment.

“It remains to be seen how heavily fall armyworm will invade Europe and how much impact it will have. But I am confident that the project will develop effective and sustainable pest management solutions that will be relevant even beyond Europe.”

May soon establish in the southern regions of Europe
Since around 2023, the fall armyworm started to migrate into Europe, first arriving in southeastern Europe. It is expected that the fall armyworm will soon establish in the southern regions of Europe and might become a serious migratory pest for the other maize producing areas.

Dr Anne-Nathalie Volkoff, Project Coordinator from INRAE, said, “We ultimately aim to provide advisors and farmers with pest management tools that can minimize the economic, environmental and social impact and the reliance on synthetic pesticides.”

The authors of the research, which included Dr Kenis and Dr Toepfer, suggested that pest is best managed sustainably – without an over reliance on more harmful to the environment chemical pesticides – by way of using biological pest control products or through conservation biological control.

In December 2022, a CABI-led review was published in the Journal of Economic Entomology that outlined potential management options farmers in Europe could take against the fall armyworm. This will be taken further in the EUFAWREADY-project.

The authors of the research, which included Dr Kenis and Dr Toepfer, suggested that pest is best managed sustainably – without an over reliance on more harmful to the environment chemical pesticides – by way of using biological pest control products or through conservation biological control.

In December 2022, a CABI-led review was published in the Journal of Economic Entomology that outlined potential management options farmers in Europe could take against the fall armyworm. This will be taken further in the EUFAWREADY-project.

EUFAWREADY receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No.101212676. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the EU nor the European Research Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.